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The Order
The Order is an organization that worships the Slender Man as a god. They engage in cult-like meetings and ceremonies at a number of locations, in which the members don white masks and dark-coloured robes. They are known to associate themselves with the ancient Egyptian rite of Gorr'Rylaehotep. Overview The Order is made up of at least three different chapters: the New Jersey Chapter, the Southern Chapter, and the New England Chapter. Within The Order, there are a number of positions, each with different roles and responsibilities: * Overseer's: Each chapter of The Order is controlled by an Overseer, who is in charge of welcoming new members into the Order, writing Holy Books, and leading certain ceremonies. There is also a Chief Overseer, who is in charge of appointing other Overseers and leading the organization. In 1985, the Chief Overseer was Lawrence Rainwood, who was part of the New Jersey Chapter. The current Chief Overseer is his son, Jacob Rainwood, who had previously been the New Jersey Chapter Overseer. When an Overseer dies, their handpicked apprentice replaces them. * '''Vassal's: The most common position within The Order, Vassals' main duties are to follow the wisdom of the Overseers and to stop Harbingers. * 'Archvassal's: Archvassals are those ranked above Vassals but below the Overseers. * 'Harbinger's: Harbingers are those whose "ignorance" turn them against The Order's goals. They are considered enemies of The Order and are not only outsiders, but targets of The Order's more menacing practices. * '''The Oracle: Marc McComber, the sole survivor of the Princeton Experiment, was given the title of the Immortal Oracle and revered as the "seer of Truth". Due to his exposure to the phenomenon, McComber's aging process had been greatly slowed, if not stopped all together, and he began having visions of both the past and future. Although he was unable to speak his prophecies aloud, he conveyed them to The Order in whatever ways were possible and they served as a foundation of The Order's belief system. Although his prophecies cannot truly be comprehended by a mortal, he was considered to be the Overseers' best source of information. He eventually turned against the organization and later disappeared after being admitted into a mental hospital by his son. History In the 1800s, there existed an organization known as the Novus Ordo Europa (New Order of Europe), which was stationed in Hamburg, Germany. The Amsel and Rainwood families had strong ties to the organization, with members of both being included in the organization up until the 1930s. Around this time, an ancient Egyptian tablet, which had been discovered by an archaeologist named Heinrich Kaufmann II earlier in the century, was stolen from a British museum. Despite the Amsel and Rainwood families leaving, the Novus Ordo Europa itself did not disband until 1958. Kaufmann, who had discovered the tablet and translated it into a common language, would later be known as the Discoverer amongst The Order. After their time in the museum, the tablet and its transcript were "rediscovered" by a man who would later be known as the First Overseer and stored in a secret location. He then set about forming The Order, a brotherhood of fellow believers made up of alchemists, scientists, seers, and psychics, as well as compiling the knowledge within the transcript into the first Collective Knowledge. After many years in secrecy, the tablet and transcript were stolen from The Order by the Nazis, although The Order retained the first Collective Knowledge and continued to develop and gain power over the following decades. After the end of World War II, Hans Freuhauf, a former Nazi scientist who some believed to be a member of a Gorr'Rylaehotep-related cult, led the United States government-funded Princeton Experiment. Freuhauf's experiment attempted to create a Rift in an effort to summon a Gorr'Rylaehotep, using information contained in Kaufmann's transcript. The Princeton Experiment proved somewhat successful, as a Rift was apparently created. However, the Slender Man, the being that emerged from the Rift, slaughtered all who were present except for Marc McComber. The Order were pleased to learn that the tablet's knowledge had been used by a fellow believer and accepted McComber as a member, revering him as the Immortal Oracle. McComber's prophecies, which were a result of his exposure to the Rift, became a fundamental part of The Order's belief system. As the Order has strong ties to the Amsel and Rainwood families, they use locations owned by the Rainwood family as meeting places, as well as the Atlantic Test Site, where the Princeton Experiment was held. Beliefs The Order worships the Slender Man, whom they refer to as their Master and god, as they believe he has the power to grant them godhood in the 4th World. They seem to believe that their actions are for the betterment of mankind, although they acknowledge that their practices are frowned upon by most of humanity. Although most members fully embrace The Order's philosophies, some have apparently not completely committed to the idea of entering the 4th World, as they were seen fleeing from the Slender Man when he seemingly transported one of their fellow members there. The Order possesses a black book known as the Collective Knowledge, which contains their beliefs. The book temporarily fell out of their hands when it was discovered by Chris, Alex, and Jesse (who was secretly a member himself), at the supposedly abandoned Rainwood Day Camp & Learning Center. The Order later regained the Black Book by breaking into Chris's house and assaulting him. In the process, they also gained possession of classified military documents pertaining to the Princeton Experiment, which Chris had obtained from the chest owned by Heather McComber, who herself had received it from Marc McComber, her grandfather. The Order keeps track of cycles, which they refer to as the Days of Passage. They believe in the coming of a "Fourth Dawn", in which their Master's children will undergo a "great Trek" to the 4th World, a paradise where their Master will grant them godhood. Leading up to the Fourth Dawn are three cycles, each of which is made up of three "movements", which are depicted through diagrams in the Collective Knowledge. According to Children of the Knight, a blog seemingly run by The Order, the First Dusk has already been reached. The blog also states that the coming of the Second Dawn will signal the start of the Second Cycle, during which the second "great prophecy" passed down by the Oracle will be fulfilled. While little is known of the Oracle's prophecies, it is known that he once prophecized that Chris and Alex would destroy The Order. Laws * Law of Secrecy: Members of The Order must wear a mask and dark clothing so as to hide their identities. The name of The Order must never be spoken and its proceedings must not be told to anyone, so as to avoid being discovered by the outside world once more. Failure to comply with the Law of Secrecy shall be paid for with the Ultimate Price. * Law of Submission: Members of the Order must submit to the organization's goals of transcending and bettering mankind, as well submit to the Overseers, as they are the divine Guides who know the most about their god and his world. The Law of Submission is considered to be the absolute pinnacle of devotion to the brotherhood. * Law of Remembrance: Vassals must revere the origins of The Order, as well as those who made strides toward godhood in their lifetimes. The Collective Knowledge must be studied and kept in secrecy by the Overseers. Overseers are to teach the truth contained within its pages and ensure that the Law of Remembrance is upheld. Known Members New Jersey Chapter * Jacob Rainwood (Chief Overseer) * New Jersey Chapter Overseer (possibly deceased) * Jesse Laurenzi (Vassal) * Heather McComber's father * Lawrence Rainwood (former Chief Overseer; deceased) * Marc McComber (former Oracle) * Greg Benson (deceased) * Detective Amsel (presumed) * Masked Cultist (likely deceased) * Kind von der Ritter (presumed former) Southern Chapter * Henka Visæ (former) * Mary Asher (former Vassal) Category:Requisites